iWorld
Turkish distrib Calinos strikes deals for Forbidden Fruit
Mumbai: Turkish dramas travel is something we all know. In India too they have managed to get many a viewer glued to them goggle-eyed, totally absorbed by the stories. The success of Istanbul-based distributor Calinos Entertainment shows how far Turkish series are leaving their impact.
Calinos represents Medyapim’six season running series Forbidden Fruit. It has found buyers in more than 70 countries prior to the new year.
“In 2023; we have sold approximately 130,000 hours of TV programming to more than 105 countries on five continents by distributing more than 200 programs,” says Calinos head of international sales Asli Serim.
With just a month and a half gone in 2024, Calinos has managed to continue to pocket new deals. Forbidden Fruit was sold in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine, even as it continues to be a top TV show in Chile, Puerto Rico, South Africa and the Philippines.
Continuing to introduce Turkish dramas to a global audience, Calinos has also sold Woman and Second Chance to Serbia, Cherry Season to Slovakia, and the re-run of Ferihato Ukraine.
“While Forbidden Fruit and Woman continue to conquer new countries in 2024, we are happy to see that new fandoms are created for each drama that exists in our phenomenal catalogue,” says Serim.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
